GRE required for Economics
The Division lists the GRE General Test as required for the Economics PhD, and the Department of Economics will not consider applications without official scores. The University sets no minimum or cut-off score.
Doctoral · Chicago Economics
Chicago Economics PhD: a required GRE, a writing sample and a Core Examination
The University of Chicago's Economics PhD is run by the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics and applied for through the Division of the Social Sciences. The Division lists the GRE as required for Economics, and the department will not consider applications without official scores. Applicants need not hold a master's degree, and the route is built on coursework, a Core Examination after the first year and independent research from the third year.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What Chicago asks for in Chicago Economics PhD
Taken from the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics' PhD programme pages and the Division of the Social Sciences' application-materials and GRE pages and read on 3 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Chicago's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
No master's required
The department does not require a master's degree before applying. Applicants need a bachelor's degree or equivalent before matriculation, and three-year bachelor's degrees are given due consideration.
Transcripts, three letters and more
Application requirements include unofficial transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a candidate statement, a résumé or CV and a writing sample.
A Core Examination after year one
In the summer after the first year, students take a three-part Core Examination in Price Theory, Theory of Income and Quantitative Methods, with two attempts allowed.
Independent research from year three
From the third year, students move to full-time independent research and enrol in the Required Research Seminar.
Official sources
- UChicago Division of the Social Sciences: GRE General Testsocialsciences.uchicago.edu
- UChicago Division of the Social Sciences: Application Materialssocialsciences.uchicago.edu
- Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics: PhD Program, Applyeconomics.uchicago.edu
- Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics: PhD Program FAQeconomics.uchicago.edu
- Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics: PhD Program Overvieweconomics.uchicago.edu
Read on 3 November 2026 on the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics' PhD programme pages and the Division of the Social Sciences' application-materials and GRE pages, which describes 2027-28 entry. The Graduate Student Handbook, the financial-support page, the how-to-apply and deadlines pages of the Division and the candidate-statement and writing-sample guidance were not read and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Is a Chicago-style economics PhD the right route?
This guide concerns only the Chicago Economics PhD. The comparisons below are Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the pages say.
It fits if
you are strong in mathematics and economic theory, have a GRE you are willing to submit and want a route built around price theory, quantitative methods and early independent research.
Think again if
you cannot provide official GRE scores, because the department will not consider applications without them.
Consider the joint programme if
your interest is financial economics. The Joint PhD in Financial Economics is a separate programme with Chicago Booth.
How the application is read
Official scores, letters and a writing sample
The Division asks for unofficial transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a candidate statement, a résumé or CV, a writing sample, official GRE scores where required and official English test scores where the University policy requires them. The Division also says the University has no minimum or cut-off GRE score. This page carries no deadline, fee or funding.
How the degree runs
Coursework, the Core Examination and independent research
The department describes a six-year route: two years of coursework, with core subjects first and specialised fields second; a three-part Core Examination in the summer after the first year, with a Core Mentor and Core Clinics to support preparation; and from the third year, independent research under faculty guidance and an advisory committee. This page carries no funding figures.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the pages. They are not Chicago rules and carry no probability.
Assuming the GRE is optional
The Division lists it as required for Economics, unlike several other Social Sciences programmes.
Relying on self-reported scores
The Division says the Department of Economics will not consider applications without official scores.
Waiting to ask about the writing sample
The Division asks applicants to consult the programme for any specific guidance.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the pages' own steps.
Plan the GRE
Arrange official scores that will be valid for the application.
Choose recommenders
Three letters are required.
Prepare the writing sample and statement
Check the programme's specific guidance for both.
Check the English requirement
Confirm whether the University English Proficiency Policy applies to you.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Chicago's pages describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules Chicago has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means Chicago published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the route and the application
The entry standard, the application items and the research-degree structure are described on Chicago's pages for the cycle they describe. Chicago has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Chicago publishes them per cycle; read them again when they show 2028-29.
What to do now
Plan the GRE and official score delivery, choose three recommenders and prepare the candidate statement and writing sample.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with University of Chicago or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Is the GRE required for the Chicago Economics PhD?
Yes. The Division of the Social Sciences lists the GRE General Test as required for Economics, and the Department of Economics will not consider applications without official scores.
Do I need a master's degree first?
No. The department says it does not require applicants to obtain a master's degree before applying.
What documents are required?
Unofficial transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a candidate statement, a résumé or CV, a writing sample, official GRE scores and, where the policy requires, official TOEFL or IELTS scores.
How many attempts at the Core Examination are allowed?
Two. The first attempt is typically held in the summer after the first year.
Does this guide state a deadline or funding amount?
No. The pages describe a particular cycle, and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Chicago Economics PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.